The Shariah and Its Application

of guidance should determine objectively the state of affairs in a given situation, then strive to find the verse or verses revealed in a similar situation in the first phase of Islam. And when that injunction is found, it should be applied to the present situation. That is, the purpose served by the immediate revelation in the first phase, will now be served by pin-pointing similarity between the past and the present situations. For a better understanding of this, one should take into account the four different stages of the period of prophethood of the Prophet of Islam: (a) The first half of the Makkan period; (b) The second half of the Makkan period; (c) The first half of the Madinan period; (d) The second half of the Madinan period. Basically these four periods keep repeating themselves throughout human history. By studying the Quran in depth, the parallels to present-day circumstances can easily be discovered: it is very necessary if guidance is to be received from the Quran in later periods of history. As mentioned above, the Quran that exists with us today in its complete form was not available to the